File follower



E. G. LEHMAN.

FILE FOLLOWER.

APPLICATION mio SEPT. 12. 191s.

Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

E. G. LEHMAN.

FILE FOLLOWER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. f2. 1911s.

1,438,385, Patented Dec. 12, '1922.

' fwn/@2210014 #Wffy @1f/,WJ s. im

all??? JDNAED LEI-lyill', F GflNTN, GEIQ, SSIGNOR, COR?ORATION, OF CANTON, OHO, A COREORATION OF UNTED' ALLOY NEW YORK.

wall of the drawer; and the object of the invention is to provide a follower of few parts and simple construction which will automatically lock itself in any position, and` may be released by a slight pressure of the thumb and finger. l

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part hereof in whici Figure l is an isometric perspective View of the follower plate and `guideway detached from a drawer; y v

Fig. f2, a detached perspective view of the saddle;

Fig. 3, a detached perspective view of the locking lever;

liga Ll, a cross section of a drawer showin.;` the follower in rear elevation; and

l ig. 5, a side elevation of a drawer with the side broken away to show the follower in side elevation, with a modified form of sprinv.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The follower plate l is rigidly secured, as by spot-welding, to .the forward face of the upright plate 2 of the saddle shown in Fig. 2, the lower end of which saddle plate is flanged forward to form the guide plate 3, and the upper end thereof is flanged rearward to form the hearing plate l. v

The lower end of the saddle plate 2 is provided with the notches 5 along the upper side of the guide plate 3, which notches are adapted to receive the inturned flanges 6 on the sides of the channel guide 5 for engaging` the guide plate in the guideway formed by the channel in which the guide plate is adapted to slide longitudinally,

The locking lever, comprisinn the plate 7 and the operating tongue 8, is fulcrulned to the bearing plate 4 by passing the tongue upward through the slot 9 therein until the shoulders l at the upper end of the locking plate aouts the lower side of the bearing rsnsnn Assronrrnnrs, rro

rien rorirownn.

12, 1918. Serial No. 253,692.

` plate, whence the locking plate extends downward and rearward with its lower end .ll .normally resting upon the flanges 6 of the channel guide 6a.

rThe tongue 8 normally extends upward forward fir-ioni the bearingplate l and is nornially .pressed rearward by action of a spring 2 or l2, which causes the lower edge ll ol" the locking plate to bite into the flanges of the channel guide for locking the :follower plate and its guide plate against rearward -rnovenient along the guideway. When, however, the locking ktongue 8 is pressed forward, as by applying the thumb Yo the forwardside of the follower plate and4 'A finger to the rear side vof the locking ongue, the locking plate is swung rearward o as to disengage its lower edge ll from the 6 of the channel guide;iwhereupon the follower plate may. be moved freely rearvard by a sliding of its guide-plate in the guid'eway,to he locked again in a desired `aosition byreleasing the pressure of the nger upon the locking tongue.

rlhe central depression 13,inade by pressing the upper edge of the follower plate rearward, forms a recess for receiving` the thurnb in the operation of the follower plate;

and the lower end of this depression, the

lip lll is struck rearward from the body of the follower plate for engaging with the upper end of the forward arm l or leaf 15* of the spring.

An aperture 16 is preferably provided in the locking tongue 8, in which the lingers 17 or i7 at the upper end of vthe rear arm 18 or leaf 18 of the spring may be engaged for holding the parts in position; and it is evident that a lll-shaped wire spring l2 having coils at each side of the locking tongue may he employed, or a U-shaped leaf spring l2 of narrower width than the locking tongue 8 may be used, without varying the principle or mode of operation. of the locking devices,

It is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular style of guide or guideway for the lower end of the follower plate, nor to the particular style of locking lever illustrated and described herein; but the plate forni of guide and lever and the flange channel forni of guideway have been found to be very desirable for the purpose intended.

The channel plate forming the guideway is preferably located in the longitudinal channel 19 formed in the bottoni 20l of the drawer 2i, and the follower plate may be lo'- oated in the vertical position shown in 5 for holding ythevoards or papers 22 uprightly in a square paelr against the forward wall 23 of' the drawer; but ther present invention'is not lirnited to these particular features of: arrangement and Construction.

l Claim: y

l. A Jfollower plate having a guide extending i'orward from its lower' edge andi-a bear'- ingy with aperture .therein extendinfgfre'arwardv :Troni its rear side, a loolringlever 'fulerurned on the under side of the bearing and having'- an operating tongue extending upward through the aperture therein, and a guideway or the guide normally engaged by the lookinglever.

2. A follower plate having al` guide extending lor-ward 'fronrits lower edge' and a bearwith an aperture therein extending' rearward from its rear side, a looking lever tulerinned on the under side of the bearing and having an operating' tongue extending upward through the aperture therein, a guideway for the guide normally engaged by the looking lever, and yielding rneans normally holding` the lever against the guideway.

3 A follower plate having a guidefextending forward from its lower edgel and a bearwith an aperture ther-ein extending rearward trein its rear side, a-loolring lever fulerurned on the under'sideof thebearing and naeeee having an operating tongue extending upward through the aperture therein, a guideway for the guide normally engaged by the loekinglever, and a lil-spring between the tolle/wer plate andthe lever'tongue having its arins engaged therewithj i 4l.. Af follower plate having aI guide lange extending forward from its lower edge and azbearing flangewith `an aperture therein eX- tending rearward from its rear side, a looking plate extending downward and rearward from the bearing plate and having an operatingtongue extending' upward and rearwardthrough the slot therein with shoulders bearing against the bottoni of 'the plate, and a gudeway for the guide flange lupon whieh the lower edge' oftheloekingplate normally rests.

5".' A follower plate havinga guide flange eX-tenclin'g'A forward from its lower edge and a bearing flange with an aperture therein extending rearward romits rear side, lool:- ingxplate extending downward andrrearward from thebearing plate and having oper ating) tongneV extending-g` upward and rearward through the slot therein with shoulders bearingvagainet `the bottoni or thev plate, a guideway' for: the guide flange upon which the lower edge of the locking plate normally rests and! means normally; holdingthe loching plate against the guideway.

nnwnnn o. nennen? 

